At the America-Israel Friendship League annual Partners for Democracy Awards Dinner, held at the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan on November 29, the theme was “Celebrating Israel as a Start-Up Nation” (like) an Israeli-based venture-backed company working to produce a transportation infrastructure that supports electric vehicles.

…Ambassador Ido Aharoni, Israel’s Consul General in New York, who told the AIFL supporters that the success of Israel ‘s high-tech sector as well as all the other areas of endeavour is “the result of the Israeli spirit which made it possible.” “It’s in our DNA to ask questions and to refuse to accept political or any artificial limitations.

…the focus of the discussion was an effort to determine why, despite all Israel’s efforts and tremendous achievements for its own citizens as well as the world, the Jewish state is still menaced at the UN and by much of the world with threats of boycotts and divestment. Messrs Gillerman and Koch maintained that most anti-Israel sentiments are little more than anti-Semitism dressed up in a more acceptable, politically correct package.

…Mr. Koch (former NYC Mayor) said, too often, “our greatest problem is other Jews” who attack Israelunfairly and single the Jewish state out for criticism never mentioned against other nations whose offenses in human rights make any infractions by Israel pale by comparison.

…Israel has the third largest number of companies traded on the stock market. Only the United States andChina have more. Last year, Israel boasted 600 new start-up companies which succeeded in attracting venture capital. “In the entire continent of Europe, from Moscow and Oslo to the boot of Italy,” there were only 700 such start-ups,” said Mr. Medved. “But Europe has 700 million people; Israel only 7 million,” he added.